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Soccer teams representing England and Scotland competed against each other at The Oval, London on Saturday the 25th of February 1871.

Background

The match was organised CW Alcock following invitations placed in Scottish newspapers. There is controversy surrounding the selection of players for the Scottish side, as most of them were drawn from English teams. Although not currently recognised as an official international game by FIFA (founded 1904), it was organised under the auspices of the Football Association, which was the only footballing body in the world at the time.

Match report

The match is described in the following way by the Scotsman newspaper:

""SECOND INTERNATIONAL MATCH ENGLAND V SCOTLAND [The Scotsman's capitals]. On saturday the Surrey Cricket Ground in London witnessed the second international contest between England and Scotland, which have now come to be regarded as great events of the football campaign in England. Much interest has for sometime been felt with regard to the match as it had become known that most of the celebrities who were unable to represent Scotland in the first meeting would do battle in the second struggle and consequently there was every prospect of a stirring and spirited engagement. Fortunately, too the weather was to a great extent favourable. Although the sky was gloomy there was no sign of rain and the air, though keen and consequently more exhilarating to the players than to onlookers was not cold enough to prevent upwards of 500 spectators from paying to witness the match. At the commencement, Scotland had a stroke of good fortune as in winning the toss for choice of positions the northern eleven reaped the benefit of a strong wind which could not prove otherwise than of assistance to their cause. At half past three o'clock the kick off was made by A.J. Baker on behalf of England, the respective backs being E. Lubbock (half back) and C.W. Stephenson (back) for England: Quentin Hogg (half back) and W.H. Gladstone MP (back) for Scotland. The rules are those of the Football Association, which are in every respect dissimilar to those patronised by the Scotch schools and universities, and certain Scotch clubs. Without loss of time, the Scotchmen commenced to imperil the safety of the English lines and the southerners, who played less energetically than is their wont were thus reduced to a close seige, which augured ill for the security of their fortress. Once the ball was only diverted from its passage between the posts by the precision of the English goalkeeper, but this ill success for Scotland was soon remedied as about a quarter of an hour after the kick off a loud shout proclaimed the fall of the English goal - an achievement entirely due to the play of C.E. Nepean. This event produced a change in the positions of the two parties as well as a simultaneous alteration in the aspect of affairs, the English eleven nettled by this reverse returning to the fight with a greater amount of energy than at the outset. For upwards for half an hour, however, all efforts of their forward players were frustrated by the faultless kicking of Q Hogg and W H Gladstone and indeed it seemed as if the defence would prove more than equal to the attack until a well executed run down by C W Alcock WC Butler and RSF Walker, acting in concert, enabled the last named of the trio to equalise the score by the accomplishment of a well merited goal for England. Again, according to law, positions were reversed, and from this period the Englishmen held a slight though decided advantage, threatening the Scotch lines on several occasions but without success . Nothing more occurred to favour either of the rival elements and five o'clock arrived leaving the question of supremacy undecided. The play of the Scotch champions was in every respect admirable and both forward and back no possible exception could have been made to their exhibition. Still to C.E. Nepean Q Hogg and WH Gladstone was mainly due the successful defence of their lines against a series of well organised attacks. For England R.S.F. Walker was untiring in his efforts forwards until the close, while in the same line for Scotland F.Maclean and A.K. Smith did great execution. The respective elevens were as under: England CW Alcock (Harrow Pilgrims), A.J. Baker (Wanderers), M.P. Betts (West Kent) W.C. Butler (Civil Service), J Cockerell (Brixton club), W.P. Crake (Barnes Club), T.C. Hooman (Wanderers), F. Lubbock (West Kent), C.W. Stephenson (Westminster School), RWS Vidal (Westminster School) and RSF Walker (Clapham Rovers). Scotland A.F. Kinnaird (Wanderers), F.Maclean (Oxford University), WH Gladstone MP (Old Etonians), Q. Hogg (Wanderers) J.F. Inglis (Charterhouse School), A Kirkpatrick (Civil Service) W Lyndsay (Old Wykehamists) C.F. Nepean (University College, Oxon), A.K. Smith (University College, Oxon), R. Smith (Queens Park Club, Glasgow) and CC Primrose (Civil Service)¹

See Also

England v Scotland (1870)

Scotland v England (1872)

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